A vehicle driving control method includes: controlling, by a controller, a speed of an engine included in a vehicle and a torque of the engine so that fuel consumption of the vehicle is minimized in an acceleration section of the vehicle, based on gradient information of a road on which the vehicle is being driven and an air resistance of the vehicle; and controlling, by the controller, the vehicle to perform coasting driving in a coasting driving section of the vehicle after a speed of the vehicle reaches a maximum speed of an operation mode, in which the vehicle is accelerated and then performs the coasting driving, by the control of the speed of the engine and the torque of the engine.

A transmission includes an input shaft coupled to a prime mover, a countershaft, main shaft, and an output shaft, with gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. A shift actuator selectively couples the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. The shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing including the countershaft and the main shaft. An integrated actuator housing includes a single external power access for the shift actuator. A controller interprets a shaft displacement angle, determines if the transmission is in an imminent zero or zero torque region, and performs a transmission operation in response to the transmission in the imminent zero or zero torque region.

A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine and an electric machine, both capable of providing propulsion power. A clutch is configured to selectively couple the engine to the electric machine. At times, the vehicle may be subject to excessive loads, such as a large amount of weight in the vehicle or the vehicle towing another object. At least one controller is programmed to engage the clutch and start the engine in response to a load of the vehicle exceeding a predetermined threshold and a release of the brake pedal while the vehicle is stopped and in drive. This increases available engine torque prior to vehicle launch in anticipation of an upcoming acceleration demand.

A hybrid vehicle control device for controlling a hybrid vehicle with an engine and an electric motor as drive sources of the vehicle includes a high-load road travel determination unit configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is traveling on a high running resistance road surface on which a predetermined vehicle acceleration is unobtainable only by an output of the engine, and a motor output setting unit configured to set an output of the electric motor. If the vehicle is determined to be traveling on the high running resistance road surface by the high-load road travel determination unit, the motor output setting unit limits the output of the electric motor when a vehicle speed reaches a predetermined vehicle speed.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a method and to a control system for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine configured to provide torque to a first axle of the vehicle for generating first axle wheel torque, and an electric machine configured to provide torque to a second axle of the vehicle for generating second axle wheel torque, the method comprising: outputting a torque request for the engine and a torque request for the electric machine, the torque requests having a first ratio dependent on a required torque split between the first axle wheel torque and the second axle wheel torque, wherein received first axle wheel torque and received second axle wheel torque have a second variable ratio dependent on a difference between wheel torque response capabilities of the engine and of the electric machine; determining that a trigger condition is satisfied; and controlling, in dependence on satisfaction of the trigger condition, determination of the torque request for the electric machine such that deviation of the second ratio from the first ratio is inhibited.

A method estimates tire pressure of vehicle. For each tire, signals or data indicative of angular velocity of the wheel with which the tire is associated are acquired. A subset of detected signals or data acquired in rectilinear vehicle travel condition is selected. Pressure relationship between tires of each pair of wheels of the same axle is determined by comparing the rolling radius of the wheel on which a first tire is mounted and the rolling radius of the wheel on which a second tire is mounted. A pressure relationship between tire pairs is determined for comparison between the mean value of the rolling radii of wheels of a first axle and the mean value of the rolling radii of wheels of a second axle. Ratios are calculated based on signals or data indicative of angular velocity of the wheels and on slippage of the drive wheels.

A method of increasing engine braking of an engine for a vehicle, the method including: determining the change in kinetic energy of the vehicle over a period; determining the energy output from a drivetrain of the vehicle over the period; comparing the change in kinetic energy to the energy output; and increasing the engine braking of the vehicle when the change in kinetic energy is greater than the energy output over the period.

Apparatuses, methods and systems including dynamic estimations of vehicle mass and road grade estimation are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a method including operating a vehicle system to propel a vehicle, determining with a controller a vehicle mass estimate and an uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate, evaluating with the controller the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate relative to at least one criterion, if the uncertainty of the vehicle mass estimate satisfies the criterion, determining with the controller a road grade estimate, and controlling with the controller utilizing the road grade estimate at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine output.

A deceleration factor estimation apparatus estimating a deceleration factor of a vehicle includes: a driving force acquisition unit that obtains a driving force of the vehicle; a speed acquisition unit that obtains a speed of the vehicle; an acceleration acquisition unit that obtains an acceleration of the vehicle; and a deceleration factor estimation unit that estimates a plurality of deceleration factors on the basis of a relationship between the obtained driving force, speed, and acceleration, wherein the deceleration factor estimation unit switches the deceleration factor to be estimated on the basis of a travel condition of the vehicle.

A method for controlling an auto cruise speed of a vehicle includes: determining a feedback torque for correcting a speed error between a target speed set by a driver of the vehicle and a current speed that is a feedback speed detected by a speed sensor of a vehicle; determining a drive resistance according to the target speed by inputting the target speed; determining a first feedforward torque according to the determined drive resistance; determining a second feedforward torque based on a vehicle inertia and a variation of the target speed by inputting the target speed; and outputting a command for generating a wheel required torque that is corrected by adding the first feedforward torque and the second feedforward torque to the feedback torque.